Folding umbrella



Nov. 24, 1931.

W. J. SPIRO FOLDING UMBRELLA Filed ooi. 5. 1929 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 WALTER J'. `SPI1'\0,`rOWI-II'JII?. PLAINS, NEW YORK romaine UMBRELLA Appneatio'mea october 3, 192e. serial No. 397,059.

This invention relates to a folding umbrel The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved means for collapsing the ribs supporting the usual 'covering by rolling the ribs upon a central `drum member, and this involves the use oflaterally bendable ribs secured'at their innerends to said member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a staft1 composed of telescoping sections, the upper one of which is arranged to impart a rotary movement to .a fork disposed intermediate the ribs to transmit thereto a lateral Vwinding movement upon the drum.

A further object of the invention is to present a new compact umbrella structure including a drum having means to hold the same against rotation, laterally bending ribs secured at their inner ends to said drum, a winding device rotatable upon the drum and engaging the ribs, and a sectional staff adapted to be telescoped within the drum.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof dened by the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts in section;

Figure 2 is a partial top plan, with the center broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the collapsed device;

Figure 4 is a detail section of the retainin@r detent. v

Figure 5 is a detail sect-ion at the Winding drum, and Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 5. Y

Like numerals indicate like parts in the several iigures of the drawings.

In the application of the invention herein disclosed the numeral 10 designates a drum or head having a hand hold 11. To the peripher)7 of this drum a series of flat laterally 50 bendable ribs 12 are secured at their inner ends 13 and tapered toward their outer ends 14, and such ribs have secured thereto the usual covering cloth 15. Cooperating with the ribs is a winding'member 16 rotatably mounted upon the lower portion of the drum byvmeans of a set screw 31 traveling in an annular groove 32, said member having fingers 17 extended intermediate adjacent ribs to engage and roll them in superimposed relation upon ythe drum or head when held.

Motion may be transmitted to Athis winding member by various means, a desirablel form being the sleeve section 18 of the staff of substantially the lengthV of the drum and adapted to telescope" therein. To l prevent rotation of the drum relative to the sleeve, the former is provided with a longitudinal slot or groove 19 "to ieceiveia pin 20 on the sleeve, 4while the outer periphery'of the sleeve is'formed with a spiral groove 21 engaging a -pin or lug *22 upon thevfork orwinding member.4 The longitudinal movement of the'sleeve section thus produces a'rotary travel of the fork for wind'- ing "the ribs laterally upon the drum.

In order to provide the, desired length of the u'mbrel'lastaif, an additionalsleeve section 23 is telescop'ed within the sleeve 18 and guided-by a slot or groove24C engaging a pin 25 at the inner face of the upper sleeve. This pinmayfbe` held at 'the end of the grooveV when the parts are distended byany suitable form of detent, such as 'the spring 26 indicated in vFigure 4. A further section 27 of the staff 'carries a han'dle`28 and is provided with a groove 29 :receiving apin 30 on the s'ectionfr23. i

The operation of the Vinvention will be apparent' from the foregoing description and it will be seen that if it be desired to close the open umbrella shown" in Figure 1', the drum 90 wouldbe'held by one 'hand and the upper section telescoped therein by the other hand, which causes the 'winding member to rotate and folds or rolls the ribs upon the drum and each other so as'vtoicompress the ribs into a 9i verysrnall and compact arrangement. The coveringY cloth beinglight falls in folds over the wound ribsyand for theV` purpose of clearer illustration has been omitted in Figure 3. s The remaining sections of the staff are then 100 telescoped within each other and the head so that the collapsed device is only of a height substantially equal to the head or Winding drum'. This provides a folded umbrella which may be carried in a pocket or small hand bag, and comprises a simple, eiiicient and economically manufactured construction. The umbrella is opened from its folded condition by a reversal of the operation just described.

The details of the invention have been speciiically shown and described, but changes and alterations may be made thereinwithoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as recited in the following claims.

Vhat I claim is l. Ina folding umbrella, a head, a plurality of laterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends thereto, a stati, and means upon the staff for Windingv the ribs upon said head.

2. In a folding umbrella, a head having means to retain it against rotation, a plurality'oflaterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends to said head, a staii", and rotatable means actuated by the staff for Winding the ribs upon the head.

3. In a folding umbrella, a head having means to retain it against rotation, a plurality oflaterally bendable ribs securedat'their inner ends to said head, a staff, rotatable means upon the staff engaging said ribs, and a longitudinally movable staiiA section having a spiral groove in engagement With said rotatable means.

4. In a folding umbrella, a head having, means to retain itagainstrotation, a plurality of laterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends to said head, a staff, arotatable fork upon the head having fingers intermediate adjacent ribs, and' a longitudinally movable staif section having aspiralgroove. in engagement With said fork.

5. In a folding umbrella, a drum having a hand hold, a fork rotatable upon the lower end of the drum', laterally bendable ribs secured to the drum and engaged by said fork, andi a stan' section tel-escoping Within the drum and provided With a spiral groove in engagement With a projection on said fork.

6. The construction of folding umbrella.` defined by claim 5 With means to prevent relative rotation of the drum and stav section telescoping therein.

7. In a folding-umbrella, a drumhaving a hand hold, a plurality of fiat laterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends in spaced relation upon the periphery of said drum, a forli rotatable upon the lower end of. the drum and engaging said ribs to Wind them in superposedf relation upon said, drum, andan operating member slidingly mounted in the drum and having a spiral groove toengage and rotate said fork. Y

8. In a folding umbrella, a drum having a hand hold, a plurality of flat laterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends in spaced relation upon the periphery of said drum, a fork rotatable upon the lower end of the drum and engaging said ribs to Wind them in superposed relation upon said drum, an operating sleeve slidingly telescoping in the drum' and provided With a spiral groove engaged by a' projection on said fork, a staif section telescoping Within said sleeve and held against rotation therein, and a section telescoping Within the staff section and held against rotation therein, said section being adapted to nest Within the drum when telescoped.

9. In a foldingumbrellma drum having a hand hold, a plurality'of laterally bendable ribs secured at their inner ends in spaced relation upon the periphery of said drum, means for Winding said ribs in superposed relationl upon said drum; and a staff composed of a plurality of sections telescoping Within each other and' thehead, each of' said sections being'ofv substantially the length of the head, whereby the parts are closely nested When incollapsed relation.

In-testimony 'WhereofiI aiiix my signature.

IVALTER'J; SPIRO. 

